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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · 8d

⚡Is Labour about to put its historic link with National Parks at risk? I hope not but it seems this is not an academic question.

👀 All eyes will be on the government amendments to the planning and infrastructure bill, expected mid October.

greenallianceblog.org.uk/2025/09/30/i...

Is Labour about to put its historic link with National Parks at risk?

At last year’s Labour party conference the prime minister spoke about the beauty and wonder of the Lake District. Visitors to this year’s conference are greeted by six Labour history information bo…

greenallianceblog.org.uk

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · 12d

📚 There's a lot of critical environmental decisions piling up on ministers' desks.

🚀 None more so than the environmental improvement plan, which has stalled. Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds must get the new plan out the door and drive its implementation at pace.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · 16d

📈 Many thanks for the chance to offer thoughts on whether the government is on track to meet the great green challenges of our time.

🚀A monumental shift will be required to move from planning to delivery.

🔍All eyes will be on the new environmental improvement plan when it appears later this year.

Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · 20d

5️⃣ 🔗 Working with her ministers and new permanent secretary Paul Kissack, she must ensure that Defra’s many policy levers work in a unified and complementary way. She has many willing partners and allies. We are very much looking forward to working with her.

Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · 20d

4️⃣ 🚀 Emma had a great first week announcing progress on oceans, peat burning and toxic pesticides. She must continue to seize the 'quick wins' waiting in the department's wings eg ending the digging up of peat bogs for garden compost & ridding supermarket shelves of products of damaging deforestation

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · 20d

3️⃣ 📗 A healthy natural world underpins the economy. By spending Defra’s budget well she can restore nature, while reducing flood risk, boosting farmers’ incomes and saving NHS £. The Circular Economy Strategy is one of the best opportunities Defra has to promote economic resilience and productivity.

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · 20d

2️⃣ 🍃 She must champion the environment across government. People want to breathe clean air, drink and swim in clean water, eat healthy and affordable food and experience the joys of nature. Defra's work touches the lives of and matters to millions of people.

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · 20d

1️⃣ ⚡She must instil a laser like focus on delivery, starting with getting the new environmental improvement plan out in October, followed swiftly by the land use framework, a plan to protect 30 per cent of land and sea for nature by 2030 and implementing the new SPS agreement with the EU by 2027.

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · 20d

My latest @green-alliance.org.uk blog looks at some of the opportunities and challenges facing new Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds.

📝 There's a lot on her 'to do' list so where should she start? Here are five suggestions.

greenallianceblog.org.uk/2025/09/18/n...

New Defra secretary Emma Reynolds has a big ‘to do’ list but a chance to make some publicly popular moves

Emma Reynolds has become the tenth UK environment secretary in a decade, joining the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) at a critical time for environmental protection. She …

greenallianceblog.org.uk

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · Aug 20

🌋 ⚖️ 🌳 Who remembers when thousands of environmental laws nearly disappeared over a cliff?*

📑 In our latest briefing, we tell the story of retained EU laws and look to their future.

* Luckily this didn’t happen thanks to civil society and parliamentarians.

green-alliance.org.uk/briefing/the...

The fate of retained EU laws since Brexit » Green Alliance

Green Alliance is an independent think tank and charity focused on ambitious leadership for the environment

green-alliance.org.uk

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Reposted by Ruth Chambers

Green Alliance @green-alliance.org.uk · Aug 14

In our latest blog, @ruthchambers.bsky.social highlights the worrying trend of governments curtailing our ability to protest about their policies or inaction.

The government must reset its approach, repeal draconian laws and bring us back into compliance with the Aarhus Convention.

The right to protest on the environment must be restored

Five years ago, I reflected on the role that civil disobedience and protests have played in the environmental movement and the worrying direction of travel prompted by the backlash to Extinction Rebellion. What has happened since September 2020?

buff.ly

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · Aug 14

My latest @green-alliance.org.uk blog makes the case for the right to protest on the environment to be restored.

It’s not too late to reverse this worrying anti-democratic direction of travel but the government must act now.

greenallianceblog.org.uk/2025/08/14/t...

The right to protest on the environment must be restored

Five years ago, I reflected on the role that civil disobedience and protests have played in the environmental movement and the worrying direction of travel prompted by the backlash to Extinction Re…

greenallianceblog.org.uk

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · Aug 6

🌎 Recent rollbacks in Brazil, Ecuador & the US show how fragile environmental governance systems can be.

🍃 In this new @green-alliance.org.uk blog I look at how the UK can strengthen environmental protections to help them withstand changing political winds.

greenallianceblog.org.uk/2025/08/06/t...

The UK needs to strengthen, not rollback, its environmental protections

Across the world, governance systems that protect precious environments and people are being dismantled. This may feel a far cry from the cut and thrust of domestic politics, but there are already …

greenallianceblog.org.uk

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · Jul 30

📆 Today marks one year since Defra launched a ‘rapid review’ of the Environmental Improvement Plan.

🪟 The Office for Environmental Protection has warned the window to get on track to meet environmental goals will soon slam shut.

👀 Safe to say there’s a lot riding on the new plan.

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · Jul 23

🙏 @justinmadders.bsky.social for reaffirming that environmental protections will be maintained when the govt uses its powers under the Retained EU Law Act.

📗 This welcome statement is in the govt's latest report to Parliament.

✉️ Read the minister's letter 👇

green-alliance.org.uk/wp-content/u...

Extract from the government's Assimilated Law Parliamentary Report: December 2024 to June 2025, confirming that environmental protections will be maintained when it exercises its powers to change laws which originated from the EU.

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · Jul 17

🙏 Thanks to the committee members and staff for their help with the preparations for the session.

👍 Giving evidence can be a nerve wracking experience but they made us feel comfortable from the start @delythjewell.bsky.social @llyrgruffydd.bsky.social

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · Jul 17

🌿 We discussed the independence and powers of the new Welsh environmental watchdog, environmental principles and biodiversity targets.

📗 After summer, the Committee will publish its recommendations which we hope will include a few of ours.

🔗 Read our evidence

business.senedd.wales/ieListDocume...

Agenda for Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday, 17 July 2025, 09.30 | Senedd

Senedd

business.senedd.wales

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · Jul 17

⏰ The climate change, environment and infrastructure committee asked us questions for 75 minutes.

🌊 We talked about the importance of making this important legislation as watertight as possible.

📺 Tune in from 9.30
www.senedd.tv/Meeting/Live...

Live-Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee-17/07/2025

The Senedd is the democratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people, makes laws for Wales, agrees Welsh taxes and holds the Welsh Government to account.

www.senedd.tv

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · Jul 17

🌟 🌟 Delighted to give evidence alongside these two superstars* this morning in @senedd.wales on a new legal environmental framework for Cymru.

*Alex Phillips from WWF Cymru and Annie Smith from ‪@rspbcymru.bsky.social‬ who co-chair the @waleslink.bsky.social biodiversity group.

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · Jul 11

🧩 The Welsh environmental governance bill will complete the legislative jigsaw we’ve been working on across the UK since Brexit.

🎧 For more details check out this webinar with @futuregencymru.bsky.social where @rspbcymru.bsky.social WWF Cymru & I discuss the bill.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g78...

Webinar: The new Environmental Governance Bill: what does it mean for public bodies?

YouTube video by Future Generations Commissioner for Wales

www.youtube.com

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · Jul 7

A thundery afternoon at #Elmey nature reserve full of bees and butterflies feasting on teasel nectar, corn bunting (which seems to be doing well here), hares and a sprinting stoat.

@bumblebeetrust.bsky.social is this a moss carder? 🐝 🔎

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · Jun 17

⚡ Big news for Northern Ireland’s environment as an expert review signals the need for major change ⚡

We welcome its calls for stronger environmental governance and enforcement, to better protect and restore the environment.

www.daera-ni.gov.uk/sites/defaul...

Reposted by Ruth Chambers

Green Alliance @green-alliance.org.uk · Jun 12

Wednesday's spending review revealed the government's plans for the trajectory of the economy, and was largely more forgiving for climate and nature than many expected. So, how did it perform against our asks? 🤔🚦

Read our full evaluation in this new briefing: green-alliance.org.uk/briefing/was...

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Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · Jun 12

🐟 Remote electronic monitoring on fishing boats remains on the cards and will become mandatory after a design and testing phase.

📖 There is welcome clarity on Defra’s contributions to the government’s mission boards and who attends these.

Ruth Chambers @ruthchambers.bsky.social · Jun 12

🔥 Defra is “working towards” a consultation to explore new measures to cut emissions and strengthen local enforcement on domestic burning.

🔋 A consultation is planned on wide-ranging reforms to industrial permitting, including to bring Battery Energy Storage Systems into the system.

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